Nine sacks Brisbane staff, accepts resignation following “Chopper-gate” debacle
QTQ's Director of News Lee Anderson has resigned from Nine and three staff have been sacked after live helicopter crosses were faked by Nine News.
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The Nine Network has sacked three staff in the wake of faked live crosses to reporters in a helicopter and accepted the resignation of QTQ’s Director of News Lee Anderson.
Anderson said in a letter, “This morning I tender my resignation as Director of News accepting full responsibility for the events of the last few days. I have served this network to the best of my ability for almost 25 years. It has been a privilege and I wish the team all the very best.”
Following his resignation, two reporters, Cameron Price and Melissa Mallet, have been terminated. News Producer Aaron Wakely has also been dismissed.
Nine launched an inquiry following the revelation that two live crosses during weekend bulletins purported to be “near Beerwah” but were actually near Nine’s Mt. Cooth-tha studios. It was revealed one of the two crosses didn’t even require the helicopter to leave Nine’s helipad.
Nine Queensland Managing Director, Kylie Blucher and Nine’s Director of News and Current Affairs, Mark Calvert said in a joint statement: “This has obviously been a very difficult process, but our primary consideration was always Nine News’ commitment to accuracy. This is critical not only to our charter, but to maintaining the trust we have developed with our audience over a very long period.”
Nine Managing Director Jeffrey Browne said: “Our position is unequivocal. We rightly demand accountability and high standards of others, and we must meet those expectations ourselves. Over the weekend, we did not. Our clear determination is to ensure that sort of conduct is never repeated, and we have drawn a very clear line in the sand by removing the staff involved in in that breach of trust with our viewers.”
Last night QTQ News apologised to viewers for the ‘misrepresentation’ in its weekend bulletins.
In a statement Nine advises that ‘newsroom procedures and lines of communication have been reviewed, resulting in immediate changes to QTQ’s news gathering guidelines. All News staff will receive further training on their editorial, legal and code obligations.’
TV Tonight understands an unfair dismissal case by some of the parties is now under consideration.
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79 Responses
This is absurb, far too harsh. I feel for the reporters, probably too scared to say no to management. As for Eva Milic, well it’s impossible for the news anchor to be checking the location of the chopper while presenting the bulletin.. it’s up to the producer to make those changes. Remember.. presenters are paid to read off an autocue!!!
Even if it wasn’t the reporters’ idea to fake the cross, they were entirely complicit. They would have an audio feed in their earpiece and would have heard the introduction as ‘near Beerwah’. A conscientious journalist would have corrected Eva and then they’d still have their jobs.
I love all the comments expressing pity for the reporters because ‘they were just doing what they were told to do’. It’s true – they were – but as a reporter myself it would be nice to get the same sort of understanding from the public when we are sent out to cover difficult stories – eg going to someone’s house after a relative has been killed. In times like this, too, we are just doing what we are told and often (almost always) loathe what we are doing. It is the culture of a workplace and senior management who should be readjusted in these situations rather than wielding the axe to the juniors. Shame on ch.9
As a trained journalist I would expect to be sacked if I faked a report. They got what they deserved. End of story.
Sorry what about Eva milic, she would have had full knowledge of the lie, and she was the face of Nine News, should she be dismissed?
Guess what will be on Media Watch this monday? 🙂
Could someone please explain how they were busted?
They didn’t sack enough of those Nine morons.
I’d love to make a long comment on this, but I won’t.
Seven and Nine Brisbane need to now realise, the next time some live cross even looks like it’s suspect, there will be questions asked. After all, “Brisbane viewers, don’t forget”.
About time someone stood up & had the Balls to do something right,about bloody time.
Channel 9 you are a disgrace.
classic channel 9… very very harsh! Will be switching to 7 news now…
News of the world? Phone hacking v fake crosses. Sure it’s not illegal but it is immoral. Gotta feel for the journos but maybe opens the door for nine to make good for Katrina and Amie from the block as the next batch of wannabes. Who needs a degree to be on tv?
What about bloody Eva Milic – the one who actually told viewers the journos were at the scene. 9 is an utter joke. Don’t give a damn about their staff.
Andrew your points about ACA are very valid.
I am sick of unnecessary live crosses. Who gives a monkey’s if they’re standing in front of, or near to, or three suburbs away from, where something happened six hours previously, especially as now it’s just an anonymous empty street again? It doesn’t matter!
I like the reports that are narrated by a recorded voice. They are prepared, articulate, and have structure. Desperate live reporting is further weakened by awkward interaction with the studio anchor. It’s just awful, and I want it to stop.
And while I’m at it, ban the word “exclusive” because nobody outside of the Network even cares.
Good thing that Today Tonight and A Current Affair never lie about anything. Nor TV news anchors every other day with their “Joe Reporter joins us Now”… oh wait…
So the poor sacked reporters were just following orders eh? The same can be said of many people in 1930s & 40s Germany. Sometimes you need the backbone to stand up and say ‘no I am not gonna do this crap’. No sympathy for anyone involved.
@Andrew: Very good points.
In this case, Nine probably sacrificed the Brissie staff because they’re … well … there in little Brissie, aren’t they? – a long way from the boardrooms of Docklands or Willoughby – and hey, Jeff Browne is a lawyer by trade – they’re not the sort of personality type to care about junior reporters’ livelihoods or impact on their families – but they’re great at writing motherhood statements.
I agree with several earlier posts that the reporters were probably just doing what they were asked/told to do by the producer. Maybe they should have refused to do it, but then maybe they trusted the judgement of the producer.
And the producer’s judgement was probably flawed by the format edict from Sydney that nearly every Nine News story must have a live cross tacked onto the front and end to give their grubby news credibility.
Fair enough the QTQ News Director should be penalised somehow along with the producer – but one must remember that generally speaking, the News Directors of stations usually have Sat & Sun off, so in this case, maybe having to quit in his case is a bit extreme.
I’m not defending the false reports nor that some form of punishment action should be taken, but Nine do have form in this sort of fakery, as @Andrew noted. Of course, so too do Seven, with a mixed record of punishment for those who have stuffed up making fake reports (such as the TT Barcelona/Skase Chase story) over the years.
As to comments hinting that Seven are bad sports by exposing this, well, do you think Nine wouldn’t hesitate for a nanosecond to take Seven to task if the situation was reversed?
I think not!
Very smart of Seven to have a camera focused on Nine’s chopper pad to see when they are off on their way to stories.
It’s a jungle out there in news war-land!
Cameron Price is a fine reporter – the journalists are there to push the boundaries and the producers are there to reign them in….
Sky News should welcome them to the Brisbane bureau – it needs some help…..
Suspension, yes. Disciplined, yes. On-air apology, pay dock, winding down of responsibilities, community service – yes. Any of those are acceptable, and better terms of punishment.
Fired? No.
Didn’t expect anything but a slap on the wrist, but I think this is a bit of over kill, first those who ‘ordered’ this but not the reporters, of course unless they were behind it.
But I want to know is why? Why do it? Was it some ratings game to one up Seven/TEN?
It will be interesting to see if the firings stick or where they end up.
“All News staff will receive further training on their editorial, legal and code obligations.” – Most of the news staff are Journalists, did they not go to university?
Nine is over reacting in fear…
As people have said, I too am surprised at the sacking of the reporters — I mean, obviously I wouldn’t know full details so I don’t know, but I doubt they would be the source of the idea to fake the cross…
It was silly to do it, but fired?
I’m sorry, but disagree with those that say it’s unfair the young journos have been sacked. They bloody well should have so well done Nine. As someone who studied journalism, any journalist with any integrity would not do that. The media may not be as terrible as the UK, but we’re heading that way in Australia. The fact shows like Today Tonight and ACA are so popular means the media will continue to get worse, because people are watching.
The journos should be sacked. They could easily have said no, they decided going against the code of ethics was more worthwhile. Now they see the consequences.
As one who has stood up to EPs in the past (and paid a price), these pathetic reporters did not have to agree to do this. The producers and idiots and the reporters are bigger idiots. They’d stoop to anything to get their mugs on the telly. Shame shame shame. They should not be re-employed anywhere in the media.